The Sandman
by Tsuki no Talia
Summary: Au. In the end, it was the Sandman who truly saved her, sprinkled magic over her eyes and whispered, "Sweet dreams," He thinks he's destroyed her, ripped her wings from her body-the magic is much too strong for the gentle angel. Rated M for strong drug use, and bad language. Dark-ish modern GaaHina.
1. Sandman's Dream

_The Sandman is a mythical character in Northern European folklore who brings good dreams by sprinkling magic sand onto the eyes of children while they sleep at night. (_Wikepedia_)._

**The Sandman**

Chapter 1

_Sandman's Dream_

Hyuga Hinata has lived most of her boring pathetic life in a boring pathetic town that happens to be a boring pathetic tourist hot-spot during the summers.

There, she met the soundtrack of her summer, a force in himself, a tectonic earthquake. He knocked the ground right out from under her boring pathetic ass.

Uzumaki Naruto, straight from the huge city that is Konoha, chose _that _summer to come to her little lame lake resort of a town. The only thing more shocking than that, is that he chose _her_-her boring pathetic self (you get the idea) as the object of his attention.

Hinata never did understand the phrase '_to whisper sweet nothings_' until he whispered them right into her bright red ears.

He was dangerous, spontaneous, gorgeous. He infuriated her father, that's for sure. He even managed to make a blow to her snotty cousin-Neji's-ego, a feat not often achieved. He made Tenten, who only had eyes for said cousin-swoon in his wake. Girls followed after him like lost puppies, swooning, losing precious oxygen over tanned skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. Hinata was no exception; he was like her life line for one whole summer. His kisses left her breathless; she swore that they could've killed her. His touches were like electricity, sending currents through her body like a damn phone line.

He liked to whisper dumb things into her ear while taking strolls on the beach, "_Girl you are summertime fine." _He was even the first one to introduce her to the world of drugs, passing blunts with his friend around the bound fire in her backyard-after her dad went to bed, that is. She even tried it, once, twice, three times.

She was hooked. Not on the pot, on him. She was addicted to his smell-like sandalwood and cheap cologne, his eyes- of the brightest blues like the midday skies, his smile-bright and cheerful, he had a little dimple on his left cheek that she absolutely adored. Girls yearned for that smile, but it was hers.

He was hers.

For the summer anyway.

He left mid-August. She wanted long-distance. He wanted _Sakura._

"_It was just a fling. Something to pass the time. I have someone waiting for me back home."_

Her whole world fell apart, cracked down the middle, thrown out of orbit and into the sun. Her dreams went up in flames that day.

"_I thought you knew it wasn't serious. Heh, my bad."_

She was furious! Betrayed! Broken. All he left was a shitty apology, his address, and some drugs. He left her _drugs._

"_Hey, but we can still be friends right? You're cool...a little strange but cool. If you ever come to Konoha stop by my place. Oh by the way, I left some coke on your headboard after we made out. You can keep it."_

So when he left, she returned to her boring pathetic life as Hyuga Hinata the fucking _strange but cool_ girl who had the best high of her life on the cocaine her ex-boyfriend left her.

There are two reasons why Hinata chose to go to college in the city. One, her small town and any other small town for that matter, is boring as hell. Two, her father is a heavy-handed bastard with a temper. She'd rather not be near him...well ever again.

On the surface, she's the sweetest girl you will ever meet. Albeit, a little shy and insecure, she'll help you through any problem you might have. Inside, she is scared and depressed, hardened around edges, her heart seems to be shrunken, like the Grinch, from all the love she hasn't received.

She's a junior now. Living off-campus in a crappy apartment with her friend, Ino, several blocks away from the college. Her father had stopped paying dorm fees; it didn't matter much to her though...she hadn't liked her old roommate anyway.

"Ino, I'm home," She calls lightly to Ino, she walks quickly past the living room area and tries not to blush at Ino and her boyfriend making out on the couch. "A-And, ah, Shikamaru, you're here as well..."

"-and me," Kiba cuts in from the kitchen. He comes out with a blunt and a bag of chips and settles himself on Hinata and Ino's couch. "How was school or whatever?"

Hinata glances at her friend- Inuzuka Kiba- the college dropout who lounges around everyone and anyone's apartment, not doing anything with his life except for walking his damn dog. What a mooch. "School was fine I guess," She replies, "Tiresome. My grades are slipping..."

"Hmph." Kiba says, "You smile...a lot less now. Maybe you should quit school."

Hinata must roll her eyes at this response, "N-no Kiba, it's just-y-you know-a lot of stuff has been happening now, you know?"

"Welllllllll," Kiba draws out the word, "You should consider, you know, coming to hang out with us tonight,"

"Sure," Hinata says, dropping her bag with a 'thud' and wondering why it was so hard for Kiba to ask her that. "Just let me change."

"Well, um-" Kiba begins again, then he cuts himself off. "Cool, be ready soon, we're taking Shikamaru's truck."

"Alrighty," Hinata disappears around the corner to freshen up.

Ino sits up from the sunken couch to glare at Kiba, "Why didn't you tell her _where_ they party is?" She points an accusing finger in his direction, "When she finds out who the host is, she'll freak."

"Chill." Kiba shoots the blonde and irritated look, "What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Chances of running into him are slim anyway. Besides, _you_ can still tell her at any time."

"You can't actually think she'll be okay with this-?"

"Probably not. But she needs to get over him anyway."

Hinata gazes lazily out of the car window as they drive through the sleepy city. They pass skyscrapers and buildings, all light up against dark of the night. The lights are blurred through the windows though from the raindrops falling steadily. The air is chilly and Hinata suddenly feels grateful that she picked the sweatshirt pull over and skinny jeans over the shorts and crop top Ino had offered. She glances over at the friend in the backseat with her. Kiba's examining a blunt, using the passing street lights as his light source. Finally he lights it and passes it to Hinata.

Hinata rolls her eyes at him. She has always wondered why Kiba can always seem to keep a blunt but not a job. She hesitates only a little before taking it from him. She hasn't done pot too much but Kiba always offers it whenever he has it-and he has it often.

Finally, Shikamaru pulls up to an unfamiliar house in a rough looking neighborhood. Hinata steps out the car and comes to cling to her bestfriends jacket, suddenly feeling unsafe. Kiba gives her a reassuring look and pushes her in front of him instead of behind, a slight nudge that says, _come on._

She and Ino rush to get inside to get out of the chill of rain. Cool rain cascades down pale flesh for a couple of seconds before Hinata is rushed indoors.

The Hyuga experiences a sensory over-load as she enters the place. The lights are dim in some areas, but almost too bright in others. Smoke fills the air and no matter where she goes it follows her. The air, of course, smells of smoke and alcohol and sweaty people, it makes the indigo-haired girl scrunch up her nose in disgust. She bristles as people continue to brush their sweaty bodies against hers in a fail attempt at dancing-even more sloppy due to being completely trashed.

"Hey man," Kiba thumps some guy on the back, "It's been a minute."

"Yeah." The man is revealed to be none other than Uchiha Sasuke-the used-to-be drug dealer for that creepy sleaze, Orochimaru, before his older brother saved his ass and pulled him out of all the crap he had gotten himself into.

He and Kiba do one of those guy handshakes and the dark male turns to the Hyuga, "And...Hinata right? Always a pleasure." he says in that monotone of his where Hinata can't tell if he's being sincere or not.

"Yeah, you too." Hinata replies, distracted now. She's spotted a head of pink hair-the owner she has no interest in speaking too-ever.

Sasuke goes on to greet the other guest and party crashers alike, leaving Hinata and Kiba to fend for themselves. Eventually, Hinata grabs herself a drink-beer from the freezer, the homemade punch on the table probably isn't safe for consumption. She settles herself on the couch in the living room next to Kiba. The Hyuga doesn't indulge in the blunt that's being passed around; rather she's really focused on the pink-haired girl she saw. She tries to distract herself by counting how many high-heeled girls trip over the turned up rug in the corner.

She's at about twelve girls, now.

Minutes later, she relieves Kiba from his duty to her, and lets him go pester one of said girls. He doesn't want to sit there and babysit Hinata, and she knows it. She told him to just leave her boring pathetic ass to chase that ditzy blonde he'd been staring at so he could get her to make out with him or something.

Hinata stands to get another drink but only finds stupid _Bud Lite_, the only kind left that no one even wanted. After searching feverishly for a canned alcoholic beverage, she comes up dry and disappointed. After chewing on her lip she decides to take a chance with the pink punch, probably spiked. She elbows people out the way and gets elbowed in return but makes her way back to her seat through the jumble of people without a problem. Right when she's almost sat down she sees her.

And she's coming straight at her like she wants a goddamn _hug_ or something.

"Hinaaaaaaaaaaata!" Sakura says, smiling widely. She pushes strands and strands of pink hair back from her perfect face and attempts to engulf Hinata in a hug. "I haven't seen you in, like, years."

It's only been three months actually. But who's counting? "Hey Sakura," Hinata mutters, she tries not to be annoyed with the pretty pinkett in front of her but it's so easy to hate her. She has everything. She's on her way to being the best surgeon in Konoha-interning under Tsunade herself-and she chooses to waste her life here at some dirty party on the east side with a bunch of crackheads and sell-outs. She's just so _annoying_ yet so perfect at the same time. Even with her hair-short after she cut it off after some crazed moment of hysterics. (Hinata didn't even want to know what _that_ was about but Ino sure did enjoy telling her the details anyway.) She has these pretty, large emerald eyes, and the weirdest gorgeous exotic hair color that Hinata has ever seen. Couldn't be natural. Haruno Sakura is model thin and perfect. Yeah, it's pretty easy to hate her guts.

Plus, she has Naruto wrapped around her fingers-Hinata doubts that she even cares.

"So what's been up?" Sakura asks brightly while adjusting her gold sparkly bodycon skirt that shows all too well the gap between her thighs.

Skinny bitch.

"Eh...uh nothing, just...like, school, and stuff." Hinata replies lamely. She feels like a loser. And she probably looks like a rotting potato standing next to Sakura.

"Oh yeah!" Sakura says like that was the most interesting thing Hinata's said. "What was your major again?" She puts an arm around Hinata's waist and starts to lead her somewhere. Hinata wants to tell her that the dingy navy blue sweatshirt Sakura's hand latched onto hasn't been washed in weeks and that she looks like a lumpy young girl standing next to Haruno Sakura. She doesn't appreciate it.

Hinata allows herself to be dragged about as Sakura talks about some cat's brain she's recently studied or something-she probably assumes that Hinata is nerdy and much rather talk about school stuff rather than the latest drama. (Sasuke's impregnated Karin the prostitute?! OMG WTF) But Hinata much rather talk about gossip than how a cat's brain compares to a human's any day.

"Sooo," Sakura is saying now, once she's finished her boring-ass-hell mantra about the statistics of child obesity in Konoha and how terrible Mc_Nasty _(yes, she said that) is 'for like, the entire human race'. "I want you to meet my boyfriend!"

_Why_? Hinata wants to ask her. _I really don't care. _Last week, Sakura went out with her ex-boyfriend's older brother (Itachi,) two weeks before that there was that perverted high school Lit. Teacher, (Kakashi,) and Hinata thinks she can recall some guy named Sasori being the object of her affection for some time before she caught him doing something perverted with his doll-puppet thingies. (Hinata's heard all this from Ino, of course.)

"He's a keeper," Sakura is saying, her bony arms and fingers still squeezing the hell out of Hinata's waist.

"I've known him for like, _forever_. But he confessed to me for, like, the 100th time and it finally opened my eyes to what a _great _guy he's become. He's training to be a firefighter, you know?"

Hinata doesn't know how is job interest is relevant _at all_, but she just smiles and nods at the girls. "Oh that's awesome. I'm happy for you!" And she is, even if she's jealous that the pink-haired girl already has her life together.

"Oh. There he is! I don't think you've met." Sakura finally let's go of Hinata and gives some man a cute little hug from behind. "Naruto, baby. I want you to meet a friend."

Wait, wait wait. Pause. _Naruto?_

"Eh, okay Saks."

Yep it's Naruto.

The funny part about this situation is that Hinata met Sakura without knowing that she was _Naruto's_ Sakura until Ino told her. (Small world eh? Ino had giggled like a maniac. It hadn't been funny.) Even then, Hinata liked her enough because the girl had never given Naruto the time of day and she hadn't even known that Naruto was Hinata's ex. Let alone that they'd known each other period. They both sort of fell into a pattern of blissful oblivion. Hinata continued avoiding, loving, and resenting Naruto at the same time as Sakura was avoiding, turning down, and ignoring him.

But now they're _together. _That makes things _different._ Funny how things work out.

Naruto's eyes widen at his ex-girlfriend's sudden appearance, but he shrugs and wraps an arm around the cherry haired beauty beside him. "Hi Hinata. Nice to meet ya."

Hinata's suddenly falling off her high horse and being trample by its fucking _hooves. _He's acting like he's never even _met_ her. The girl he spent his summer with. The girl he's shared weed, kisses, and stories with. The first girl he's ever said 'I love you' to. And he _acts like he's never seen her in his life._

_I need a cigarette_, Hinata thinks to herself. She sputters out a response and her face is red from the weird mix of anger and embarrassment-which always seems to happen when she's around Haruno too much anyway.

"Uh, Hinata, are you okay?" Sakura questions. She places a hand on Hinata's arms and Hinata only shakes her head. She looks into pools of blue and pleads for him to say something, but he only shrugs again at her.

She hadn't really meant anything to him after all.

And then she feels like she's going to throw up. Hinata leaves the pair of dimwits without a word and sprints to the nearest exit. She flings open the porch door and enjoys the feel of cool night air against her over-heated cheeks. Before she knows it, she's leaning over the banister and puking out her guts, and all over these potted plants Sasuke has that look suspiciously like marijuana.

She chokes and gags and spits until she's done and wipes the corner of her mouth with the edge of her sweatshirt. She feels...betrayed. It's hard to explain the weird mix of emotion that's welling in her stomach but it's a lot like feeling…used.

Hinata just stands there for a bit, glad the rain had stopped and even gladder that no one was on the porch to stare or judge her.

"Ew." A voice coming from her right says.

Okay, she takes that back. The light-eyed girl turns to see a man sitting on the steps rolling a blunt. He looks a bit _too_ bored with, like, life and mostly annoyed by her presence. He has a mop of red hair shining brightly against the overhead porch light but his eyes are dark and clouded. Hinata can still see that they're the greenest she's ever seen, despite the fact that the guy looked like he hasn't seen sleep in months.

"S-sorry." Hinata apologizes lowly.

"Too much to drink?" He questions in a way that says he's humoring her.

"Nah, not enough actually," She replies distantly, "Too m-much...life...probably."

"Huh." The man replies. "Elaborate."

"Uh," Hinata frowns, squinting at the strange man as he raises the blunt, "It-it's like the d-demons of your childhood nightmares all come back at once-except they're real and they want to eat you."

"Huh," The man replies again. He turns oddly, moving like a cat and blinking at her with those intense green eyes. "They call me the Sandman."

Hinata blinks back at him, "Like from childhood folk stories?"

"Yeah. Except I give good dreams by selling drugs," He says rather bluntly and shrugs broad shoulders at her, "I have a name but people never seem to want to call me by it."

"W-what's your name?"

"Doesn't matter."

"O-oh." Hinata blinks again but she's so overcome with curiosity, she sits next to the odd man.

The sandman puts the blunt between his teeth and stares her down without blinking. He stares so hard she gets goose bumps all over her arms. "So...tell me about your...demons."

So she tells him. She tells him like a little girl would talk about her dance recital or tea party, or like a boy and his power ranger collection. She just let's the word out like word vomit, although less vomit. (She thinks she's barfed enough for the day.) She's never talked so much to someone she's just met. And he just listens and smokes as she goes on and on and on. He doesn't stop her and he's paying attention even if he's staring into space, counting the cars that go by. He's still listening, and it helps.

This strange man, this Sandman, he's not like any drug dealers she's ever met-not that she's met many. This man, the Sandman, is different from any man, let alone drug dealer, she's ever encountered. He's not walking around with heaps of money on him, he doesn't seem like he shining with wealth from all the drugs he manages to sell.

And he listened. He listened to all of her problems like he was her goddamn therapist, and he didn't stop her, and he didn't judge her. He didn't tell her that she was stupid and he didn't tell her that her problems were idiotic like so many others would, he just was there and it was nice to want to have someone not judge you for what you we're feeling and why.

When she finishes they sit silence for a while, neither one having anything to say to each other. She thinks that the silence is awkward but she has nothing to say to stranger after he has invested his time into listening to her. Hinata runs a hand through her hair and stands on wobbly feet, the blood rushing to her cheeks. He probably thinks she's an idiot! She shouldn't have even opened her mouth and told him about all of her insignificant problems. By the looks of him, he probably has tons of heavier shit to deal with in his life, her problems aren't even _problems!_ "S-Sorry for the w-word vomit!" She starts out nervously, watching his hooded eyes locks on hers. She thinks she hates herself a little more for saying 'word-vomit.' "I..um...better get going..." She starts up the stairs, wondering why she's suddenly hesitant.

The red-haired man sighs and leans his head back to look at the sky. "Naruto is...an idiot to put it simply."

Hinata pauses as her hand reaches for the door. She blinks, "Y-you know him?"

He nods curtly, his green eyes following her as she moves back down the steps, fueled with curiosity. "He's one of my bestfriends." 'Only friend' is a little more accurate, but he won't let her know that. "This is going to sound really shitty, I know, but he didn't do it to purposely hurt you."

By the looks of it, it _did_ sound really shitty and was going nothing to lighten the dark haired girl's mood.

Hinata watches the Sandman shrug, "I told you he's an idiot, and he's been obsessed with Sakura since birth. It's probably destiny or something."

This guy _really really_ does not know how to console people. Hinata turns away, biting back a smile at the attempt. She blows hair out her nose and changes the subject, not wanting to talk about Naruto anymore. "Do you believe in fate?"

"Of course," His voice is a low rumble in his chest, it's scratchy, like he's not used to talking. He raises his arms and gestures idly at the red night sky. "Everything is written in the stars." He scoffs a little and lights a cigarette. "If we could see them, of course."

Hinata hums in agreement, the only visible light in the sky is the moon, and even sometimes that is hidden behind red clouds and pollution. "When y-you say it like that, i-it sounds like a wonderful thing."

"What's so bad about fate?"

"I'm just more of a fan of d-determinism is all."

"Hm."

Hinata peers at him from the corner of her eye, finding herself wanting to listen to whatever else he has to say about anything. He obviously isn't a man of many words, but when he speaks you can just _feel_ worlds of knowledge and magic trapped under tightly sealed lips that grimace in the face of others. She almost feels honored that he's allowed her to listen just briefly.

She opens her mouth to speak when the back door bursts open and Kiba sticks his head out. "Oh there you are!"

"Hey Kiba."

"Yo!" Kiba grins and Hinata rolls her eyes at the guy's drunken gaze. Now she and Ino will definitely have to let the guy crash on their couch. "If it isn't Mr. Sandman, how ya doin' man?"

"Fine," The red-haired man says, "I hope you're not driving, Inuzuka."

"Nah! Hinata is, right?" Kiba smiles sloppily at her. "Ino got inna fight with Sakura so she wantsta go home. You ready?"

"S-Sure," Hinata mumbles, annoyed that her and the green-eyed mans conversation is going to be cut short. "I'll meet you guys at the car."

"Alright," Kiba salutes and saunters back into the house.

"A-Ah." Hinata turns back towards The Sandman, and feels herself stiffen when she sees that he's been staring at her. "I-I guess I have to go now."

"Yeah, I guesso."

Hinata stands and jogs back up the stairs, her stomach bubbling and her mouth twisting like she wants to say something. She turns around and meets his intense gaze. "Will I see you again, Sandman?"

The Sandman only smirks, and tips his head back. "Maybe. If you know who to ask."

Hinata frowns but nods at the somewhat cryptic message. "Okay."

"By the way, Hinata, the name's Gaara."

"Gaara." She repeats, tasting it on her lips. "Maybe we'll meet again."

He blinks and tips his head back again, "Only if it's in the stars."

-:- -:- -:-

**An. I finaaaaally decided to post this thing after it's been sitting in my documents for, like, a year.**

**I'll update whenever I get my priorities straight, or something.**

**Review.**


	2. Sun Demon

_The Sandman is a mythical character in Northern European folklore who brings good dreams by sprinkling magic sand onto the eyes of children while they sleep at night. (_Wikepedia_)._

_Song to go with this chapter: Wires by The Neighbourhood_

**The Sandman**

Chapter 2

_Sun Demon_

She hates her life a little, she really does. She's tired of the constant gloominess that follows her day to day, hovering over her head like a heavy rain cloud. She is so tired of this continuous funk. She is so tired of watching her friends pass her by, achieving bigger and better things while she stands there idly, calling out to them but never getting a response back.

She's just lucky that her father hasn't cut her off yet. He continues to pay for her tuition despite the fact that they're on terrible terms. Even if Hinata is not the heir to his chain of 5-star hotels anymore.

But that's another story altogether; and there are many stories. At least they all end the same-Hinata will forever be invisible and alone.

Today, the Gods have decided that Hinata's mental rain is not enough and have thus implemented actual storm clouds to literally rain on her parade as she walks home from work. She reaches into the bag for her umbrella; only to realize that Ino had stole it from her that morning, being inconsiderate, as always. The Hyuga wants to cry. She also kind of wants to die.

She continues down the road, her feet dragging against the concrete with defeat. Her problems are so _miniscule _but she still feels terrible about them. She doesn't like that she always feels this way when she has no _real_ problems. Her father is rich, she has a home, and she's attending one of the best colleges in the country. Honestly, what is there for her to be sad about? She's not dying or homeless. If she ever got back into her father's good graces, she would have the world at her fingertips.

But she still feels it. Feels _nothingness_. Right there, right in her chest, in her mind, in the pit of her stomach. It's cold and it seeps through her skin like a ghost. Like a demon. So much _nothing._

It clouds her thoughts and shields her eyes and she can no longer see the sunlight.

She doesn't know when it started, and she doesn't know when it will end, but sometimes it's just so hard to get out of bed in the mornings.

_Why are you so sad?_ Ino's annoyed voice rings clear through her thoughts, filling the void with negativity. It's worse than all that nothing.

_I don't know_, she would answer. _I'm not sad!_ She would quickly deny when Ino's face would change. Shikamaru would stare her down, a cigarette hanging between his lips. He would send her a look like he just _knows_ before turning back to his girlfriend, indulging her in the latest gossip. Hinata likes to think that he did that to help her.

She doubts it though. Shikamaru and her have never talked much and she thinks he doesn't like her much even though she doesn't have any reason to believe it. Despite this, Hinata still hopes he did it to help her. If only to have someone on her side.

_Cheer up!_ Kiba would beg. He'd only bother her about it when they were alone, walking Akamaru together in a park. _You're making Akamaru sad, look at him!_

And Hinata would look at him. And Akamaru would be wagging his tail, his tongue half out of his mouth as if her pain was funny to him. Hinata knew that that was a silly thought, because Akamaru was just a dog and she was just a pessimist.

Sometimes it is hard to see the good things. The nothing helps with that. It sucks the life out of her. What used to be her favorite book? Who was her favorite artist? For Gods sake, what was her favorite fucking chick flick!?

What used to make her smile?

Something evil in the back of her mind utters the word. Three syllables long. It's like a whisper coming from the nothing, its cold hands slipping around her skull and squeezing.

_Naruto._

Naruto used to make her smile.

Her mom did too. But she's gone and Naruto's not. And she's worth this pain.

Naruto's not.

And even if he isn't, Hinata's bottom lip still trembles. And her fingers still clench. And her head still aches. And when the first few tears fall down her face they mix with the rain like the Gods had predicted this. They knew she would crash and they would provide an invisibility cloak around her. Maybe the Gods aren't so bad after all. That's why, when her tears mix with the rain and her heart swells with _nothing_, she doesn't blame them the slightest bit.

She continues to walk with her head down, biting her lip so hard she's scared she'll draw blood. She watches her feet thunder against the pavement right until they collide with something. She lands right on her butt.

Something grunts and Hinata slowly looks up to see a tall dark figure leaning over her with big shoulders and big hands. She's convinced that her demons have finally come to get her.

And then green eyes peer at her, full of unveiled curiosity. She swears she sees his lips twitch but the Sandman doesn't smile. Instead his lips twist to mutter, "Fate."

She blanches and he offers a hand. After a second, she grabs it and he pulls her back to her feet. She still isn't sure if he's a demon or not. By the way his hand is squeezing her own, she's sure he might be.

"D-determinism." She mumbles back despite the fact that this is definitely _not_ an incident she brought upon herself. She is back to cursing the Gods despite the fact that she'd been dreaming about this meeting when she wasn't having nightmares.

"Hm." He doesn't use words to note his disagreement or tell her of her denial. His eyes sweep over her smaller frame, passing from soggy converse to soggy hair. They pause on her eyes for more than she is comfortable with and she's scared that he could tell she was crying. If he does notice he doesn't say anything. He just stands there looking interested.

"S-Sandman-"

"-Gaara." He cuts her off. "I told you my name for a reason, you know."

Hinata clamps her mouth shut and watches him walk past her. Her fingers twitch and she wants to follow him a little too much for comfort. She stares as his imposing figure walks away from her. Finally, she bites her lip and sprints after him. "Wait! San...Gaara!"

He turns slowly and blinks at her, reminding her of a cat. Not the cute kind either. Gaara is no house cat, he's a beast. She can tell by the look in his eyes and it scares her. It scares her so much she stops feeling nothing.

"I thought you would follow." He says it with such a monotone that she can't tell if he was confirming an idea or asking why she hadn't started following him in the first place. "A-Ah...Oh," Is all Hinata can come up with in response.

"Listen," Gaara says, "We can play this game if you want but don't go pretending that I'm some kind of hero." His voice washes over her like an ocean. An ocean of magic, of mystery, of dreams.

"G-game?"

His eyes stare her down and suddenly she is hit with pure _heat_. It melts away the cold of the nothing, it burns her skin. He is a sauna, he is the desert. He is sand and wind and pure fire. He can burn her and that scares her.

But he can also take away the cold.

And then she is shoved into the nearby lamp post. Gaara bares his teeth as if trying to show her that he is not a nice guy at all and squeezes her wrist.

She doesn't even think about feeling surprised. She bites back a smile at the _feeling_ running through her core. Excitement. Exhilaration.

It still scares her though. Her heart almost jumps out from her chest. Ribs are cages for a reason.

"I'm not going to save you."

She hadn't asked him to.

"I am not your hero."

She believes him. She looks down at where his hand grips her wrist. Her skin is burning under his hand as if he has just set her on fire. His gaze scorches the skin that he's dared to look at and she flinches away.

He will melt away the nothing but leave burn marks in return.

That is not a fair trade at all. What will she leave on him? What can she contribute? This is not a game if it's so one sided. She voices this to the sun demon, not longer listening to what the Gods have to say about any of this.

"Hn." He seems impressed. "I will not hurt you if you don't get in the way."

He will not scar her with burns if she doesn't spread her cold. She can live with that. Who is she to spread her darkness? "A-Alright."

Gaara appraises her before closing his eyes, "I'm leaving. Don't follow."

She wonders how a sun demon can be so cold. His hair is red as the angry sun but his eyes are as green hard ice cold crystals. His black figure retreats and Hinata lets the word 'fate' echo through her head.

She feels the nothing return as he walks out of her sight. She wills it away.

Next time she sees him, it will be because she wanted it that way.

Fate will not have its way with her…

…Even if The Sandman will visit her dreams every night until they meet again.

Dreams. Not nightmares.

**AN. Still not sure if I like this or not.**


End file.
